a pioneering,
knowledge basedshipping company

Our company

We are an operator, service provider and integrated owner. The company was founded by Torvald Klaveness in 1946 and is today a leading service provider to the global dry bulk industry. In addition the company has a unique concept for combination carriers and provides container feeder vessels to various operators.

The company is family owned with its main office in Oslo, Norway. Klaveness has approximately 165 employees on shore and 650 at sea, altogether representing some 20 nationalities. The company serves the shipping industry all over the world from offices in Oslo, Singapore, Shanghai, Manila, Rio de Janeiro and Constanta.

Torvald Klaveness operates close to 135 vessels, which carry about 65 million tonnes of cargo annually.

CONTACT US

Our future

Torvald Klaveness is a company that has always challenged the status quo. The success and legacy of the company has centred on finding new ways to improve technology and business models in shipping. Our vision of Improving the nature of shipping underpins our continued commitment to changing and improving the industry that we are a part of.

LASSE KRISTOFFERSEN
CEO Torvald Klaveness

Standardisation

Historically we have been improving the nature of shipping through standardisation and economies of scale

Greener profits

Today the main driver for improvement and innovation is energy efficiency

Data and analytics

Going forward, the nature of the entire shipping system will be formed by digitisation and the sharing economy

OUR AMBITIONS

Become the leading digital bulk operator

Build a global energy effective combi service

Provide the most useful and intuitive digital services in shipping

Our assets

EMPLOYEES

represented in Klaveness

RETENTION RATE

for seagoing personell

NATIONALITIES

represented in Klaveness

VISION AND VALUES

At the core of Torvald Klaveness are the values we live by and the vision we pursue. These are preserved over time and not subject to change.

The vision of Torvald Klaveness is Improving the nature of shipping. Our legacy is to challenge status quo, and much of our success has been and is linked to finding new ways to improve technology and business models in shipping.

The vision provides direction and guiding along three dimensions:

Improving

We always look for new solutions

Nature

Our ambition is to improve the very nature of the business we are in

Shipping

Shipping is our market and where we can make a difference

The values of Torvald Klaveness define what we stand for and shall form the basis for all that we do.

Craftsmanship

We know our business in detail

Constantly update and renew competence

Deliver as promised

Build and contribute to teams

Keep it simple

Integrity

We act on our principles

Ethics before profits

Be honest

Express your concerns

Address problems

Commitment

We see through cycles

Seek lasting solutions

Never bet the company

Support the customer

Never give up

Curiosity

We challenge established thinking

Ask questions

Look for new solutions

Share with and build on insights of others

Try a little, learn a lot

Corporate Governance

Klaveness believes transparent and good corporate governance drives value creation through aligning stakeholder as well as company interests.

The main governance structure and principles are as follows:

The owner, Trond Harald Klaveness, is the chairman of the board of the holding company. The board of directors also comprises independent representatives with corporate experience. Current board members are Christian Rynning-Tønnesen, Tellef Thorleifsson and Christian Andersen.

The CEO, Lasse Kristoffersen, who has no family ties to the Klaveness family, heads up a corporate management team currently consisting of six executives.

Risk management is an integral part of our work processes. We have a separate risk management unit under the leadership of the CFO, with the responsibility to identify and mitigate business and financial risk.

We secure full transparency for transactions between the shipping pools and a Torvald Klaveness company.

We operate under a Code of Conduct that is accepted in writing by each employee, officer and director.

Corporate Management Team

Lasse Kristoffersen

President/CEO and Head of Dry bulk

(b. 1972)
Appointed CEO of Torvald Klaveness in September 2011 after four years as Head of the Specialized Dry Bulk activities. Since August 2018 Kristoffersen has also been acting Head of Dry bulk. Worked 11 years for Det Norske Veritas prior to joining Klaveness.
Holds a Master of Science in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from NTNU

Liv Hege Dyrnes

Chief Financial Officer

(b. 1980)
Appointed CFO in February 2017 after 8 years in Torvald Klaveness. Experience from DNB Bank Shipping, Offshore and Logistics prior to joining Torvald Klaveness. Holds a Master of Science in Finance from NHH.

Bent Martini

Chief Operating Officer

(b. 1967)
Has been with Torvald Klaveness since 2006 and was appointed COO in January 2012. COO in HSD Sjø AS prior to joining Klaveness. 11 years experience from the Norwegian Navy, amongst other as Commanding Officer. Holds a degree from the Norwegian Naval Academy.

Engebret Dahm

Head of Combination Carriers

(b. 1965)
Appointed head of Combination Carriers in January 2015. CEO of Norwegian Car Carriers AS prior to joining Klaveness. Held various positions in Klaveness 1990-2006 amongst others as head of the transloader and beltunloader business.
Holds a Master of Science from NHH.

Morten Skedsmo

Head of Container Shipping

(b. 1969)
Appointed Head of Ship Owning & Projects in September 2012. From 2016 Head of Ship Owning and Service Development and Head of Container Shipping since 2017. Started working for Klaveness in 1990 and has held a wide range of positions within chartering, marketing and business development. EVP of Klaveness Asia in Singapore from 2009-2011.

Aleksander M. Stensby

Head of Klaveness Digital

(b. 1984)Appointed Head of Klaveness Digital after Klaveness’ digital activity was spun out as a separate company in 2018. Before that he held the position as Chief Digital Officer between January 2016 up until 2018 after leading the Klaveness Innovation Lab Since March 2015.
CEO at Monokkel AS prior to joining Klaveness. Co-founded and worked 10 years at Integrasco AS.

Holds a Master of Computer Science from University of Agder.

Board of Directors

Trond Harald Klaveness

Chairman of the Board

(b. 1964)
Trond Harald Klaveness is the controlling shareholder of Torvald Klaveness. He joined the Board of Directors in 2011, after six years as CEO of the Company and in total 20 years in Torvald Klaveness. He has a business degree from Boston University, and prior to his career in Klaveness he had several positions within the shipping industry in the US and USSR.

Christian Andersen

Board member

(b. 1960)
Mr. Andersen has been President of Stolt-Nielsen Gas since it was founded in 2007 and Avance Gas since it was established in 2010. Mr. Andersen was head of LNG in BW Gas ASA from 2002 to 2007. He came to BW Gas from Amanda LPG Trading, where he was founding partner and CEO. Mr. Andersen holds a Master of Business and Marketing from Oslo Business School (1986). He joined the Board of Directors in 2014.

Christian Rynning-Tønnesen

Board member

(b. 1959)
Christian Rynning-Tønnesen is the CEO of Statkraft. Before joining Statkraft he was the CEO of Norske Skog. Mr. Rynning-Tønnesen has an engineering degree from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). He joined the Board of Directors in 2005 and has several other directorships including Chairman of the Board of VCOM.

Tellef Thorleifsson

Board member

(b. 1962)
Tellef Thorleifsson is one of the founders of Northzone, and joined the Board of Directors of Klaveness in 2016. Prior to the founding of Northzone, he was one of the founders of Western Bulk Shipping, and before that he held the position as company secretary at I.M.Skaugen. Mr. Thorleifsson has a M.Sc. in Business Administration from the Norwegian School of Economics and a M.Sc (Econ) from London School of Economics (1988).

Our history

1946

In 1946, Mr. Torvald Klaveness established his first company. His idea was to provide technical management and Norwegian seafarers to American ship owners. He soon expanded into brokering reefer vessels and used the proceeds to contract his first vessel, the MV Balao in 1950.

1958

In 1958, Klaveness built one of the first specialised bulk carriers, for the transportation of fertiliser from Norway. Three years later, Klaveness also became the first to transport cement in bulk.

1960

In 1960, Klaveness ordered six selfunloading 16,500 dwt. bulk carriers together with three Norwegian partners. The vessels became the start of Bulkhandling in 1963, the first shipping pool ever.

Mr. Torvald Klaveness believed that he had to provide cost-efficient and predictable transport services to his customers and that he had to find new and creative ways to do so. Loading and discharging using the vessel’s crew and equipment, new ways to transport hitherto difficult commodities and creating trading patterns that minimized ballast became some of his hallmarks.

The many innovations were the result of strong technical capabilities combined with a thorough understanding of the customers’ challenges. His interest in developing new trades led him to partner with governments and companies in Africa, South America, Eastern Europe, Asia and the former Soviet Union. These partnerships and pools enabled Klaveness to develop shipping solutions on a scale he could not have accomplished alone.

Throughout his career, Mr. Torvald Klaveness wanted to do business in such a way that he became a trusted partner. In turn, he put his trust in the resourceful people around him and particularly in the captains and crew.

1975

Mr. Tom Erik Klaveness started working for the company in 1975 and took over as President and Chief Executive Officer in 1989. Under his command, the company developed into a large global player in the drybulk market.

2006

In 2006, he handed over the job as Chief Executive Officer to his younger brother, Mr. Trond Harald Klaveness.

2011

In March 2011, the shareholders of the former Torvald Klaveness Group formalised an agreement to split the group into two separate entities. The split was fully implemented in September 2011. The investment activities within real estate and stocks were taken over by Mr. Tom Erik Klaveness and his daughters.

The core shipping activities continued under the ownership of Mr. Trond Harald Klaveness and his sons. This includes drybulk chartering and operations, the drybulk pools Baumarine and Bulkhandling, CABUs, beltunloaders and container vessels.

As of September 2011 Mr. Lasse Kristoffersen became the new CEO of the company, the first CEO in the company’s history from outside the Klaveness family.

The Klaveness business model is based on Craftsmanship, Integrity, Commitment and Curiosity and continues to build on the company’s history of finding new ways to improve the nature of shipping. Shipping is our market and where we make a difference. Torvald Klaveness has a global market approach with a local presence through offices in Oslo, Singapore, Shanghai, Manila and Rio de Janeiro in addition to a partly owned office in Constanta.

2017

Today, Torvald Klaveness operates around 135 vessels that carry about 65 million tonnes of cargo annually.

Sustainability

For Klaveness, sustainability is about balancing financial success, environmental stewardship and social progress to the benefit of all stakeholders. We believe that a priority interest on corporate social responsibility (CSR) create long-term benefits for our business and the communities we operate in. Our culture is built on our four corporate values and these values form the basis for the company’s policies and guidelines.

The focus areas in CSR:

Conduct with integrity

We are committed to conducting our business without compromising on our integrity. We shall conduct our business fairly and openly, be honest and law-abiding and conduct our­selves in such a manner that our integrity and impartiality are not impaired through dependence on others.

Safe work place

A safe and sound place to work – at sea and on land – is most important.

Torvald Klaveness shall be an attractive workplace, providing employees with valuable development and career opportunities, regardless of gender, religion, beliefs or nationality.

Our operational and commercial goals shall never compromise safety for employees, environment or property. We shall have an open and transparent communication in order to learn from mistakes throughout the organisation.

We aim to ensure that skilled seagoing personnel stay with the company. A retention rate of 93-97% in the past 10 years indicates that Klaveness remains an attractive employer.

A better environment

Torvald Klaveness is committed to contribute to the shipping industry’s environmental initiatives in order to ensure a sustainable future.

We focus on structural and technological solutions that minimize emissions to air and sea, and actively support effective industry-wide rules and regulations to address current and future environmental challenges. Torvald Klaveness works for transparency and accountability in relation to the shipping industry’s environmental footprint in general, and Klaveness’ footprint in particular.

Strong role models

Klaveness’ objective is to be a trusted business partner whose name evokes a positive image.

Our conduct is characterised by fairness and adherence to our contractual obligations, by high ethical standards and by full compliance with laws and regulations.

The company aims to uphold its corporate and environmental responsibilities and expects the same from its business partners.

Klaveness’ Commitment to Compliance

Klaveness’ vision is to improve the nature of shipping and our ambition is to contribute to developing the standard for compliance in our industry. We are truly committed to acting in accordance with our core values, internal policies and applicable legislation.

Klaveness Code of Conduct

Our Code of Conduct defines our core legal and ethical standards and applies to all Klaveness directors, officers and employees, both on shore and on board our ships. The code provides a framework for Klaveness’ governance, and defines the most important principles and ethical norms that form the basis for how we create values in Klaveness and conduct our business. These principles and values are implemented in our governance documents.

Klaveness Counterparty Code of Conduct

Our Counterparty Code of Conduct defines the core legal and ethical standards we expect from our subcontractors, contractual counterparties and others we do business with. The code applies to all our contractual relationships through standard documents and clauses.

Membership in MACN – The Maritime Anti-Corruption Network

MACN – The Maritime Anti-Corruption Network is a global business network working towards the vision of a maritime industry free of corruption that enables fair trade to the benefit of society at large.

Klaveness was among the founding members in 2011 and was actively involved in the formalisation process in 2012. MACN and its members promote good corporate practice in the maritime industry for tackling bribes, facilitation payments and other forms of corruption. The members are vessel owners and other companies in the maritime industry including cargo owners and service providers.

As of 2016 the Network has more than 50 members and more than 20 associate members.

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